Thread: Al Qaeda terrorist possibly spotted in Kern County

http://www.kget.com

Video

Al Qaeda terrorist possibly spotted in Kern County


Posted 3/2/06
LAKE ISABELLA - An early morning report of a top terrorist sighting in Kern has been getting national attention. But, some question if it’s really a National Security Threat or just a publicity stunt.
National Author Paul Williams said a Lake Isabella couple contacted him saying they saw top terrorist Adnan G. El Shukrijumah at a local café.

Williams said the couple says they saw Shukrijumah back in September.

“They reported it to the Sheriff's office, according to them in October and they received absolutely no contact from anyone,” said Williams.

According to the report, the anonymous couple says the suspected terrorist spoke English without an accent, to other operatives.

But, there is controversy over the claim since Williams is the author of the Al Qaeda Connection, a book which profiles Shukrijumah.

He defends allegations that the terror spotting is a hoax.

“It's right there in your own back yard, so anybody that says it's a hoax is a jerk,” Williams said.

“These people believe they saw Shukrijumah,” he adds. “What would be the hoax about it?”

He says his book is not a current book and it’s not like he’s a new author trying to promote his cause.

“I'm 61 years old, I've made a lot of money, I don't need the money and I don't need the publicity,” William said.

Meantime, Kern County Sheriff Mack Wimbish said he's spoken with the FBI, the Anti-Terrorism Unit and members of law enforcement and there are no records of the Shukrijumah spotting in Kern.

“We've gone through all of our records, dispatch, everything we can and we can't find anything that was reported to us,” Wimbish said.

KGET spoke with local FBI Supervisor Javier Colon, who states, “the two individuals spotted by the anonymous Lake Isabella couple are not terrorist.”

Colon said they are Israeli businessman based in Los Angeles and the FBI is in contact with them.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.a ... E_ID=49061

Thursday, March 2, 2006



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOMELAND INSECURITY
Top terrorist sighting raises no FBI interest
Al-Qaida operative known as 'next Mohamed Atta' spotted in California, law enforcement goes AWOL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 2, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Adnan el-Shukrijumah

WASHINGTON – Two Americans believe they have spotted Adnan el-Shukrijumah, the al-Qaida operative identified as "the next Mohamed Atta" at a location near Bakersfield, Calif., but have been unable to get the FBI or Homeland Security to investigate.

An official report of the sighting of el-Shukrijumah or his "dead-ringer" was filed with an anti-terrorism unit in Kern County.

The local enforcement officers, including the county sheriff, reportedly neglected to conduct an investigation, despite the $5 million bounty on Shukrijumah's head.

Several federal officials, including U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., when notified of the incident, opted to turn a blind eye to the situation, even though they were aware that the suspect in question has been described as the most dangerous al-Qaida agent on American soil.

The eyewitnesses, a husband and wife who wish to remain anonymous for security reasons, say they encountered el-Shukrijumah and other potential al-Qaida operatives, including Aafia Siddiqui, in a small café near Lake Isabella Sept. 7, 2005. They described him as small (approximately 5'4"), thin (about 130 pounds), and clean-shaven with a prominent nose, dark eyes and black hair. They noted that he appeared nervous and spoke English to his Middle Eastern companions without an accent.


They were able to identify the individual as Adnan el-Shukrijumah from a mug-shot that appeared on the front pages of newspapers throughout the country when he became the subject of a BOLO (Be-on-the-lookout) report that was issued jointly by FBI Director Robert Mueller and former Attorney General John Ashcroft at a national press conference March 21, 2004.

The couple became more convinced that the figure in question was the elusive terrorist after reading "The Al Qaeda Connection" by Paul L. Williams, a WND contributor and former FBI consultant.

Several weeks later, they spotted the suspects near the same location and managed to jot down their license numbers.

In compliance with the BOLO report, they made their way to the office of Sheriff Mack Wimbish in Kern County, where they say they filed an official report and were told the anti-terrorism unit would contact them in the immediate future.

But nothing happened.

They received neither a visit nor a phone call from anyone in the sheriff's office.

Believing the matter to be of utmost urgency, they sent a letter to Williams at the address of his New York publisher. The letter dated Dec. 9, 2005, was not received by Williams, who lives in northeast Pennsylvania, until Feb. 9, 2006.

The letter, in part, reads:

"Mr. Williams:

"I don't know whether to 'thank you' or 'damn you' for enlightenment about our total lack of national security – this being the conclusion after reading and re-reading 'The Al Qaeda Connection.'

"Upon compiling as much pertinent information as possible [including license numbers], copies were delivered personally to Sheriff Mark Wimbish on Oct. 7, 2005 ... and have had no response from Sheriff Wimbish [or] his anti-terrorism unit.

"Your chapter titled 'Too Little, Too Late' seems to sum up the deplorable state of those who are suppose to be protecting the USA, coupled with being 'tolerant.' ...

"Bakersfield in Kern County is also this nation's largest producer of crystal meth, with an alarming growth in numbers of Middle Eastern residents. Los Angeles is supposed to have the largest population of Persians (Iranians). ...

"Reporting the terrorists was the right and responsible thing to do; however, we have now become fearful for our lives."

Williams, upon contacting the witnesses and verifying their account, called Specter's office. But, he says, no one from Specter's office bothered to respond to his message even though he had stated the importance of the matter to national security.


Several days later, Williams says he made contact with Joe Ronsisvalle at the FBI in Birmingham and was told that Special Agent John Giacalone from the Philadelphia office would contact him within a matter of minutes.

Minutes passed into hours. Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. But neither Giacalone nor any agent in charge of the el-Shukrijumah case bothered to call Williams – not even to obtain the names of the witnesses or cursory information about the alleged sighting.

The lack of response, Williams says, is completely incongruous with the statements of Mueller and Ashcroft, the issuance of the BOLO, the posting of the $5 million reward, and the FBI's continuous requests for any information regarding el-Shukrijumah.

In frustration, with the help of Jeff Epstein of the People's Truth Forum, Williams made contact with Rep. Ileana Ross-Lehtinen, R-Fla., who suggested going to the media with the story rather than offering government assistance.

El-Shukijumah and the others mentioned in the BOLO remain at large. And, at this writing, the witnesses to the sighting have yet to be contacted by the FBI or any law enforcement official.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.a ... E_ID=49083

Friday, March 3, 2006



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOMELAND INSECURITY
Sheriff denies hearing
about terrorist sighting
But couple insists they told top cop
they spotted 'next Mohamed Atta'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 3, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Kern County, Calif., Sheriff Mack Wimbish
A California sheriff denies two citizens informed him they spotted an al-Qaida operative, but the witnesses insist they spoke with the officer and hand-delivered a report that was filed with his office.

Responding to WND's story yesterday, Kern County Sheriff Mack Wimbish said he knows of no reports resembling the claim of two U.S. citizens who say they saw Adnan el-Shukrijumah, the al-Qaida operative identified as "the next Mohamed Atta" at a location near Bakersfield, Calif.

"We take these things very, very seriously," Wimbish told WND yesterday. "We spent several staff hours today working on this, and we are still researching it. If something has happened that has fallen through the cracks, we'll follow it up."

The FBI has a $5 million bounty on Shukrijumah's head.


One of the two witnesses, a husband and wife who wish to remain anonymous for security reasons, told WND yesterday he spoke with Wimbish Oct. 7 and hand-delivered his report.

Wimbish said he has "no recollection" of that.

The husband said he and his wife encountered el-Shukrijumah and other potential al-Qaida operatives, including Aafia Siddiqui, in a small café near Lake Isabella Sept. 7, 2005.

They described him as small (approximately 5'4"), thin (about 130 pounds), and clean-shaven with a prominent nose, dark eyes and black hair. They noted that he appeared nervous and spoke English to his Middle Eastern companions without an accent.
Adnan el-Shukrijumah

The couple said that several weeks later, they spotted the suspects near the same location and managed to jot down their license numbers.

Wimbish responded: "If he still has the license plate number, we'd love to have it, and the name of the café. The FBI is asking the same questions. We would be glad to follow up."

The sheriff noted he has people appointed full time to a terrorism task force.

"We follow up on hundreds of tips every month," he said. "Some are minor, yet this (claim) is a major thing."

If he had received such a report, Wimbish said, "that day, we would have been out there investigating."

It was not the first time a citizen has complained of law enforcement officials ignoring an alleged sighting of el-Shukrijumah.


In 2004, the manager of a Denny's in Avon, Colo., said it took five hours for a seemingly uninterested FBI agent in Denver to return his message after he thought el-Shukrijumah and another al-Qaida suspect, Abderraouf Jdey, had eaten at his restaurant.

Samuel Mac reported the two men said they were from Iran and were driving from New York to the West Coast, Mac said.

Mac's restaurant was just off Interstate 70.

The owner first called the FBI in Washington, D.C., but Mac said the man who answered the telephone instructed him to call the Denver office and declined to take down any of the information, the Denver Post reported.

When he called the Denver office, he was forwarded to voice mail because the agents were busy, Mac said.

The alleged sighting came the same day, May 28, that Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller showed photos of seven suspected terrorists – including el-Shukrijumah and Jdey –during a news conference on what they said was credible intelligence indicating an attack by al-Qaida in the U.S. was possible that summer.